So we’re watching a really neat documentary on PBS (Wonders of Mexico), and not terribly surprisingly, there are parts of it that are spoken in another language and subtitled. Well, most people understand that translation is sometimes as much art as science, with a lot of room for the interpreter in choosing the exact words and phrasing.
So when a Mayan farmer is discussing feeling nervous and apprehensive about his first childhood climb down into a cave and underground lake, what do the subtitles say?
“At first, I was afraid. I was petrified.”
And both Prairie and I snicker. I hope whoever did the translation or programmed the subtitles got a bonus for that.
And yes, in case you’re wondering, he did survive.